Zephyr nodded slowly in understanding. "In that case, why don’t you go with us? We’re leaving the academy after this semester ends."
"Thanks for the offer, but I’ll have to decline." I shook my head.
I knew their reasons for leaving mirrored mine—safety, growth, survival. But traveling together now would defeat the entire purpose of my "death."
"It’s too risky," I explained. "If we’re seen together, even under a new identity, it could expose everything. The whole point was to disappear completely, you know."
Zephyr’s expression darkened, but after a moment, he gave a reluctant nod. "That’s true..."
The unspoken words between us were heavy.
After recalling something, I offered him a small smile.
"But don’t worry, we can always meet here." Turning to the winged serpent observing our conversation with amusement, I added, "Master said he can teach me how to enter this place on my own, right?"
Virion’s grin widened, his tail flicking excitedly. "Of course! As soon as you recover, I’m gonna drill it—urgh, I mean teach you myself." He coughed awkwardly, though the mischievous glint in his emerald eyes remained.
Zephyr nodded again, murmuring, "That’s one way too..." But his brows suddenly furrowed. "Wait—" His head snapped up, realization dawning. "But you would need aura for that..." His eyes widened as he stared at me intently. After a tense pause, he asked slowly, "Did... did you awaken perhaps?"
The corner of my lips lifted in a faint smile as I met his gaze. "Yeah," I admitted quietly. "It feels like I did awaken."
The words hung in the air between us, charged with significance.
Truthfully, I was awakened without a doubt, the system’s good news included this after all. Although I had no idea how to check whether it was true or not.
My fingers unconsciously traced the bandages around my forearm as I remembered that moment—the explosion’s roar, the searing pain, and then... something breaking open inside me like a dam giving way with the system’s ding sound.
A surge of power/energy I’d never felt before, just as everything went dark.
Yeah, it felt cliché—but when death is knocking and power finally answers, who am I to complain?
Virion’s tail thumped against the ground in approval. "Jie jie~ About time! Though I expected my brilliant teaching would’ve awakened you sooner—"
"Master," I interrupted dryly, "your ’teaching’ nearly killed me a dozen times over."
"And look how strong you are now!" he countered cheerfully, completely missing—or ignoring—my point.
But maybe he was right, it was probably because of those trainings that I managed to stay alive.
Zephyr, however, remained focused. His piercing gaze studied me with new intensity. "When did it happen? During the explosion?"
I nodded. "Right at the edge. I think... the near-death experience might have triggered it."
My fingers clenched slightly against my knees. "I didn’t get to test it properly yet, but—"
"You will," Zephyr cut in firmly. "But, after you recover."
The unspoken command in his voice was clear—no reckless experimentation while injured. I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it. He wasn’t wrong. And I wasn’t exactly in great shape either.
But I could already feel something now. Something inside me.
Faint... like a thread of warmth coiling behind my ribs, pulsing every few seconds. I don’t know what it is, but it wasn’t there before.
Virion slithered closer, his wings fluttering with excitement. "Ohhh, this is perfect! Now I can train you properly! No more holding back! Jie jie jie~"
A chill ran down my spine at his enthusiasm. "Master, when you say ’no more holding back’—"
"First lesson!" he declared, ignoring me completely. "Aura circulation! Then spatial manipulation! Then—"
As Virion continued listing what sounded increasingly like torture methods, Zephyr and I exchanged a glance. His slight eye roll mirrored my own thoughts exactly.
Despite everything—the pain, the danger, the uncertainty ahead—I couldn’t help but feel a spark of anticipation.
Awakening changed everything.
My journey wouldn’t just be about running or hiding anymore.
It would be about becoming stronger than anyone—especially those who wanted me dead—could ever anticipate.
After a while, Master finally stopped his enthusiastic listing of future torture—training methods, his serpentine body coiling back as he observed us with satisfaction. The sudden silence felt almost unnatural after his outburst.
Zephyr cleared his throat, returning to practical matters. "Will you go to your home at the same time as us? Or travel there separately?"
I shrugged, wincing slightly as the movement pulled at my bandages. "Haven’t thought that far ahead yet. But it’s probably better if I go alone."
Zephyr nodded in understanding. The risks were obvious—if we traveled together and were spotted, it could unravel everything. My "death" needed to remain absolute in everyone’s eyes.
After a moment of silence, I recalled something important. "Actually... I do need your help with something."
Zephyr’s gaze sharpened, his posture straightening slightly, he was saying, "Name it, I will give it."
"It’s nothing difficult," I assured him with a small smile. "Just... delivering a letter to my family. I’ve already written it."
Zephyr didn’t hesitate. "Alright."
The simple acceptance warmed something in my chest. He didn’t ask why I couldn’t deliver it myself, or what the letter contained. Just immediate agreement.
An awkward silence settled between us. We’d covered the important points—my survival, awakening, future plans, the letter—and now neither of us seemed sure what to say next.
It was Virion who broke the quiet, his tail thumping against the ground impatiently. "Jie jie~ Why are you two wasting time with silence? Zephyr, why don’t you explain what to do after awakening?" His emerald eyes gleamed with mischief. "I’ll jump in if you miss anything important... or make a mistake."
Zephyr and I exchanged glances before nodding in unison. Practical lessons were always better than awkward small talk.
"That’s a good idea," I admitted, shifting carefully into a more attentive position.
"Alright. Let’s get into it." Zephyr leaned forward slightly, his voice growing firm, like a senior guiding a junior.
"After awakening, the first thing is stabilization. You’ve probably felt it already—a warmth, or a pulse, or a thing like a second heart?"
I nodded and explained the feeling.
"That’s your Resonance Locus."